What a surprise as soon as you get on board—a heritage district sightseeing bus transformed into a traditional old cloth shop!

By MOOK Scenic Spots / Reported and compiled by Chen Wenlin
 
Following Taipei’s double-decker tourist buses and themed MRT carriages, Taipei has once again launched an eye-catching heritage district bus. The Green 17 bus route has been redesigned as the latest tourist bus, featuring three uniquely themed compartments centered around the heritage district’s signature industries—fabrics, tea, and traditional Chinese medicine. These not only take passengers to nostalgic attractions such as Longshan Temple, Ximending, and Dihua Street, but also offer great photo opportunities inside these distinctive carriages. Travelers can immerse themselves in the charm and textures of olden times while enjoying an in-depth exploration of the heritage district’s timeless allure.

To provide convenient public transportation and enhance the appeal of the heritage district bus route, the Tourism and Travel Bureau specially transformed the Green 17 bus into a heritage district sightseeing bus. With a strong visual concept, the exterior is designed in a retro, eye-catching brick red color, featuring uniquely styled text art, and white lines that trace the historical landmarks of the old city, such as Beimen, Ximen Red House, Xia Hai City God Temple, and Mengjia Longshan Temple. The interior is themed around tea, traditional Chinese medicine, and the fabric market. Drawing inspiration from local century-old establishments like “Qian Yuan Herbal Medicine Shop” with its unique herbal culture, the “Yong Le Market Fabric Shop” popular in the 1950s and 60s, and historic tea houses such as “You Ji Famous Tea” and “Xin Fang Chun Tea Shop,” the compartments use “real-life settings” to create a powerful sense of spatial dislocation.